


dead leaves, desperate summers

by Starful_nights



Series: the radio crew's storytime [1]
Category: Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys - My Chemical Romance (Album), Hesitant Alien - Gerard Way (Album), The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (Comic)
Genre: Autumn, Gen, Memories, The Analog Wars, The Helium Wars, Worldbuilding, a relationship that never was which. suits drugstore perfume a lot i think, just a lil drugstore perfume-inspired thing, kind of unrequited love ig?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 07:03:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27149818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starful_nights/pseuds/Starful_nights
Summary: Dr D thinks back
Relationships: Agent Cherri Cola & Dr. Death Defying (Danger Days), Dr. Death Defying & The Phoenix Witch (Danger Days), The Girl's Mother/Phoenix Witch (Fabulous Killjoys), implied Dr Death Defying/The Phoenix Witch, kind of - Relationship
Series: the radio crew's storytime [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1993531
Comments: 8
Kudos: 3





	dead leaves, desperate summers

**Author's Note:**

> i was listening to drugstore perfume and this just kind of. happened oops  
> i promise it's not that sad just. melancholic  
> (also, in my canon, the analog wars were between battery city and another city created at about the same time, the helium wars the ones basically destroying the world. im not entirely sure abt national anthem canon but this is mine i do what i want <3)

"What're you thinking about, D?"

Cherri's voice was surprisingly soft, but it still shook D out of his thoughts.

"Oh, just...old things."

Cherri nodded, about to go back to his work, but this time, D continued. 

"Cherri Cola," he said musingly. "Have you ever seen a tree? Not one of these weird ones they have here, but real trees, ones that are green and flower and their leaves turn all sorts of beautiful colours before falling down. I miss them."

"No...no, I haven't."

"They're beautiful. They're the most beautiful thing in the world, maybe apart from the ocean and the stars. My favourite was always autumn, back before the War, both Wars, back when there wasn't just one City or two, but millions and millions. I lived far away, where trees made forests, and cities had them in parks, and plants were everywhere. It rained a lot, and the earth smelled so good afterwards," he sighed. 

"Then the Helium Wars happened and I was taken here, even though human soldiers were rare. I was one of those few, and I think that's why I survived. I went back only once, before the Analog Wars. It was the best choice of my life, I think. Battery City was still being built, and killjoys didn't exist yet. It was only weak people who tried to stay alive and a few who were clever enough to realise how easily we'd be controlled. 

"They were all scientists, ones who helped develop the bombs that did this, ones that were strong but still weak enough to not destroy everything. That was the plan, anyway. But you know this, you were there. I wish I hadn't left you alone back then, you know."

Cherri shook his head.

"It's okay. I wasn't alone, really."

"You were. And it was my fault. I shouldn't have left you with them, and for so long."

"You didn't know. It doesn't matter now, anyway."

"I guess."

"Why was going back your best decision? You never told," Cherri said quietly, hoping he won't disturb D enough for him to stop. He never said this much about Before, and Cherri never lived in a place like D was talking about.

D smiled sadly.

"I met someone there. I don't know if you remember her, you only met a few times. She had a miserable life over there, lonely and wishing to just...escape. We met by accident and became friends pretty fast. Nothing more, even though I think both of us wanted it. The timing was just wrong and...things didn't get better after that. 

"She's the Girl's mother, did you know that? The other one. She was brave, and had so much fire. She fought in the Helium Wars, actually. On the other side, but after that she came over to the Killjoys in the Analogs. She was the first to storm Battery City. She was one of the first to die as well.

"Michelle," he smiled. "Never took another name. Said that one was perfect. She found some paint and nearly used them all in a month. Always painted nature. She was colourblind, actually. Red-green. The trees looked the same to her all year long, but she still loved autumn the most. Her favourite time was when summer finally stopped fighting and melded with winter in mid-October. 

"I miss her a lot, you know. The Witch wasn't created yet—" he smiled strangely at that—"and she probably is still wandering the Zones."

"Oh."

"She seems like the type to enjoy it, to be honest. I just wish she knew how much she helped all of us. And me. I couldn't be here, being a DJ and helping all of you without her." 

"Does she have anything to do with the Witch giving you the death-sensing?"

The Phoenix Witch's sad smile behind him on a different plane of being matched D's. 

"Yes," She, The Witch, the killjoys' goddess, formerly Michelle of a small town, said, on a plane of reality where nobody could hear Her.

**Author's Note:**

> yes michelle is from get the gang together i couldn't resist  
> also this isn't exactly how the song goes but artistic liberties. also she deserves a happy ending <3


End file.
